The Saarpfalz district's civil protection authority now has a new drone that meets the latest technical standards and replaces an older model at the district. It is stationed at the Saarpfalz telecommunication unit based in Saarpfalz-Park in Bexbach. The Fernmeldezug is a Saarpfalz district unit with Saarland-wide responsibility, which is mainly used for communication when dealing with large-scale emergencies.
Drones are a versatile tool, especially in civil protection, for example when it comes to situational awareness or searching for people. District fire inspector Uwe Wagner, Head of the Lower Disaster Control Authority, knows: "The use of drones in hazardous situations is generally on the rise, as their possible applications cover a huge spectrum due to the dynamic development of technology and therefore offer considerable advantages in crisis and hazardous situations. To put it simply, they provide precise, up-to-date and easily utilisable data and store large amounts of image material. I am talking about their use in environmental disasters, large-scale fires or fires in halls that are inaccessible at first glance. It is a different matter to be able to decide on further procedures based on an aerial perspective in the event of large-scale damage. And drones are also used today to detect hazardous substances and sources of radiation."
District Administrator Dr Theophil Gallo welcomes the acquisition of this modern drone for the Saarpfalz district: "We have trained personnel in the telecommunications train and in the disaster control authority to operate the aircraft effectively, knowing full well that the drone has long since shed its reputation as a remote-controlled toy. I am very grateful for this. Against the backdrop of climate change and the associated increase in severe weather events, but also when it comes to power outages and civil protection in general, we need to continue to develop, utilise new technologies and processes and thus, as in previous years, keep the focus permanently on civil protection and disaster control in order to continue to fulfil our responsibility for the population of the Saarpfalz district."